MEMORY EXERCISES FOR EVERYDAY
When we are young the world seems filled with curious wonders, delightful discoveries, and daunting challenges. Our brains are taking in countless bits of information and we are developing lifetime skills. This burst of learning is like the brain Olympics of our human journey. Yet unlike the Olympic athletes who have a limited time to demonstrate their peak performance, the human brain can continue to grow and improve throughout our lives as long as we keep using it and keep giving it new stimulation, challenges and opportunities. Remember – if you don’t use it – you’ll lose it!
Use the other hand
This is an exercise that can strengthen neural connections and even create new ones. Switch the hand you are using to control the computer mouse. Use the hand you normally do NOT use. What do you notice?
Is it harder to be precise and accurate with your motions? Do you feel like you did when you were first learning to tie your shoelaces? If you are feeling uncomfortable and awkward don’t worry, your brain is learning a new skill.
Try other neural building and strengthening exercises with everyday movements. Use your opposite hand to brush your teeth, dial the phone or operate the TV remote.
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Breathe!
Pay attention to your breathing. Is it slow and deep, or quick and shallow? Is your belly expanding and contracting, or is your chest doing all the work? Changing your breathing pattern to one that gets more oxygen flowing helps you think and remember better.
Do New Things – have a new year’s resolution every year that involves learning something new.
It is important to challenge your brain to learn new and novel tasks, especially processes that you've never done before. Examples include square-dancing, chess, tai chi, yoga, or sculpture. Working with modeling clay or playdough is an especially good way for children to grow new connections. It helps develop agility and hand-brain coordination, (like controlling the computer mouse with your opposite hand).
Go on holiday
Travel is another good way to stimulate your brain. It worked for our ancestors as their nomadic lifestyle provided a tremendous stimulation for their brains that led to the development of superior tools and survival skills. In comparison, the now-extinct Neanderthal was a species that for thousands of years apparently did not venture too far from their homes. Early humans gained a crucial evolutionary edge from the flexibility and innovation required by their lifestyle, which also led to a more varied diet and that allowed their brains to rapidly evolve.
Neurobics
Neurobics™ is a unique system of brain exercises using your five physical senses and your emotional sense in unexpected ways that encourage you to shake up your everyday routines. They are designed to help your brain manufacture its own nutrients that strengthen, preserve, and grow brain cells. Created by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center, neurobics can be done anywhere, anytime, in offbeat, fun and easy ways. Nevertheless, these exercises can activate underused nerve pathways and connections, helping you achieve a fit and flexible mind. Even better than that – they are fun!
This is a new way of understanding how our brain works and doing something to help it live long and prosper!
1. Involve one or more of your senses in a novel context. You can use additional senses to do an ordinary task by blunting the sense normally used.
For instance:
Get dressed for work or take a shower with your eyes closed.
Eat a meal with your family in silence. Use only visual cues.
or combine two or more senses in unexpected ways:
Listening to a specific piece of music while smelling a particular aroma. FUN!
2. Engage your attention. To stand out from the background of everyday activities something has to be unusual, fun, surprising or evoke one of your basic emotions like happiness, love or anger:
Go camping for the weekend.
Take your child, spouse or parent to your work for the day
3. Break a routine activity in an unexpected, novel way (novelty just for it's own sake is not highly neurobic).
Take a completely new route to work.
Shop at a local farmer's market instead of a supermarket.
Completely rearrange your office and desktop
Read and Play Bingo
Consider your brain a muscle, and find opportunities to flex it. "Read, read, read," says Dr. Amir Soas of Case Western Reserve University Medical School in Cleveland. Do crossword puzzles. Play Scrabble. Also, watch less television, because "your brain goes into neutral," he said Challenging the brain early in life is crucial to building up more "cognitive reserve" to counter brain-damaging disease, according to Dr. David Bennett of Chicago's Rush University. And, reading-habits prior to age 18 are a key predictor of later cognitive function.
A cognitive psychologist in England found that when elderly people regularly played bingo, it helped minimize their memory loss and bolster their hand-eye coordination. Bingo seemed to help players of all ages remain mentally sharp
Walking helps you remember
When the cognitive abilities of elderly women were compared, those who walked regularly were less likely to experience age-related memory loss and other declines in mental function.
"In the higher-energy groups, we saw much less cognitive decline" – a protective effect amounting to as much as 40% – according to Yaffe. "This is an important intervention that all of us can do and it could have huge implications in preventing mental decline."
Toe awakener
In the morning, while you're still in bed, slowly begin to move your toes – any way that feels good. Wriggle, scrunch, and stretch. Move all your toes up and down several times, or work just your big toes. Wiggling your toes activates nerves that stimulate your brain and internal organs. Do this exercise first thing each morning or after sitting for an extended period of time. It will help you to wake-up and become alert more quickly. Your whole body may feel pleasantly energized. Most important, your first steps – and those throughout the day – will be safer ones